Cruise crush

Wringing pleasure from the mega-ship Noordam proves easier than expected

ABOARD THE MS NOORDAM - The itinerary looked tempting: 10 days of “Mediterranean Enchantment” leaving from Rome, with intriguing stops in Tunisia, Sicily and Mallorca as well as Barcelona, Florence, Monte Carlo and Naples. But I hesitated before signing up for this cruise. I had been on many a ship, but always small ones and didn’t relish the prospect of dining and sightseeing with 1,900 shipmates. Though not as large as the newer megaships, Holland America’s MS Noordam, launched in 2006, was big enough. I wavered, finally I booked - and I learned with the help of the Noordam’s staff how to avoid some of the potential problems of big-ship cruising.

Dining was the first challenge. One level of the dining room was set aside for those who opted for the usual dinner times, 6 and 8 p.m., with assigned tables. The second level was open seating, which sometimes meant a line impatiently waiting for tables.

But the maitre d’ had a suggestion to avoid lines. All it took was making a standing 7:30 p.m.

reservation for open seating at the start of the cruise. My companion and I did not have an assigned table but always had a table for two waiting somewhere in the room when we arrived. If we chose to dine later, the same menu was available buffet style on the less formal Lido Deck where buffet breakfast and lunchalso were served.

Anticipating crowds at popular hours at the ship’s computer stations, I brought my laptop.

Thanks to Wi-Fi connections in several locations onboard, I was able to get online whenever I wanted to catch up with my email.

The most important lesson I learned from this cruise was the advantage of taking local tour buses instead of ship tours. On the fourth day of the cruise, we pulled into Barcelona. When we peeked inside the auditorium, it looked as though most of the 1,900 passengers were seated inside, waiting for their tour buses to be called. Feeling smug, we hurried past and headed for the dock.

We were on our way to board the local hop on/hop off tourist bus. For less than half the price of a ship’s tour, it was the perfect way to make the most of a day in the city, getting on and off at our pace.

We were following the good advice of the Noordam’s travel expert Tom Vercillo, who holds court each day at “Tom’s Time,” helping passengers who want to explore on their own. His valuable tips worked in almost every destination. For me, it was the most important amenity on the ship, one of the ways I learned to enjoy the pleasures of a large ship while avoiding some of the pitfalls.

In Barcelona, for example, rather than being closed into a large bus, we sat atop the double-decker “Bus Turistic,” cameras poised, and listened to a taped guide pointing out in English the best buildings by the city’s most famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. We got off at La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s landmark, the towering, still unfinished cathedral, and wandered at leisure. Afterward, we stopped for lunch at a cafe across the way, with no one to hurry us. Back on the bus to see more, we got off again for a stroll through Gaudi’s Park Guell, with plenty of time to savor and photograph his fanciful shapes. No worry about missing the bus; there was always another one coming. With three routes to choose from, visitors can get a fine idea of Barcelona’s layout, see the beaches as well as central plazas, and visit places that many tours miss, including the fine Miro museum high atop a hill with panoramic city vistas all around.

Local buses were available in most ports and were always a good choice. In Monte Carlo, we were spared a lot of upand-down trekking through a city set on steep hills by taking the local trolley tour. It was a doubly worthwhile 7-euro investment since it kept us safe and dry during a rainstorm.

In Palermo, the tour bus fare included an optional transfer to local transportation to reach Monreale and its famous cathedral. In Naples, by taking three routes, we were able to see all facets of the city, including the thrilling hilltop views of the harbor. There was plenty of time to stroll the picturesque old quarter on foot and to sample the city’s famous pizza.

Tunis, the most interesting destination, was the one stop where we had to contend with group tours, since they were the only way to see the city, the outlying Roman ruins of Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, a town famous for its photo-inspiring white walls with blue doors and shutters.

The Bardo Museum in Tunis was a highlight of the cruise, one of the greatest collections of Roman mosaics in the world set in a radiantly adorned royal palace. But we could not avoid thejostling of several tour buses disgorging their passengers at once, reminding us of how much more pleasant it was to tour independently when it was possible. And I would have wished for more shopping time for the wonderful crafts available.

I found that one of the advantages of a larger ship was the variety of food offered. I marveled at the quality of the meals on the Noordam, where we were told the kitchen prepares a daunting 11,000 meals daily. Besides the usual array of hot and cold dishes,the lavish lunch buffet included a sandwich maker who whipped up paninis and wraps as well as regular sandwiches to order, and an Italian station where the chef offered three kinds of pasta and three kinds of pizza every day. Salads, sandwiches and the Italian dishes were available until 5 p.m., a real convenience on days when touring ran late.

Dinner menus presented as many as eight entrees and more than a dozen desserts. The chef did full justice even to ambitious offerings like pheasant and duckling.

The choice of venues was another plus. There were a number of lounges lining the second deck, and some, including the Piano Bar, were obviously designed to be small and intimate. The Explorer Cafe with its lounge chairs, books and computer terminals was calm and inviting. There was music for every taste, and those who wanted a tranquil setting could choose a lounge where a string quartet played before and after dinner.

The wide choice of activities was also a boon. Among the many options, my favorites were the daily computer workshop sessions in cooperation with Microsoft.Topics ranged from enhancing photos to establishing a blog to generally getting more from your computer. The instructor was excellent, with so many competing options, the group who chose this one was rarely more than a dozen people, meaning that each of us had our own computer to work with. An hour also was set aside each day for one-toone sessions with the resident “techspert,” an opportunity I found really useful,

Another daily feature in partnership with Food and Wine magazine was a cooking demonstration or talk in the Culinary Arts Center. Topics ranged from pairing food and wine to flower arranging, Italian cooking to making fruit and vegetable displays. These were less personal presentations, though a big screen did ensure that everyone had a close-up view.

Bigger ships will never be my first choice, but I learned that with the right ship and a little help from friends onboard, they can be a great way to go.

The 1,900-passenger Noordam, launched in 2006, is the newest of Holland America’s Vista-class ships. Similar 10-day “Mediterranean Enchantment” cruises leaving from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, and ending in Naples are offered in 2010 on Aug. 29, Sept. 18 and Oct. 8. Rates for the cruise only range from $1,499 per person, double occupancy for interior cabins to $2,299 for outside cabins with veranda, to $2,999 for suites with verandas. Visit HollandAmerica.com for details or call your local travel agent.

Travel, Pages 46 on 12/27/2009

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